Hi everyone! My name is Shreya Rao, and I will be a senior. I am a pre-med MCB Honors major, and am pursuing a minor in Chemistry along with a certification in neuroscience. During the past three years at UIUC, I have been involved with Carle Volunteering and the student organization FIMRC. Through the latter, I have been able to volunteer at the local food pantry and I also aim to help educate children at local schools about hygiene and first aid. Additionally, I will be a project lead at Neurotech, which is a student organization aimed at bridging the gap between neuroscience and technology in our community! Research has been a large part of my student career with the Blanke Laboratory at UIUC and the Mayo Clinic SURF program. I have studied host-pathogen interactions as well as mitochondrial gene editing through both experiences. I hope to get involved with clinical/translational research in medical school next fall. Pertaining to classes, I am able to help other students with introductory chemistry as well as some of the introductory MCB classes. I am also a good writer and can help with those long, writing-heavy assignments. I enjoy running, recipe-making, and painting, as it is a great way to break from the business of the college life. I am also a major foodie! College life can be great if you have the right resources and support. However, I also understand how challenging the first few semesters can be, so please do not hesitate to reach out for any personal/academic advice. I look forward to meeting many of you!